With the increasing popularity of snow skiing in many countries throughout the world, a great number of ski enthusiasts travel substantial distances in order to enjoy this outdoor recreation. Due to the costs and inconvenience involved in obtaining ski equipment at the particular resort destination, and also due to personal preference in using the same equipment, many skiers find it both desirable and practical to transport their ski equipment with them as they travel from place to place. However, since ski equipment may be somewhat susceptible to marring or scratching which both detracts from their appearance and decreases the performance of the equipment, it thus becomes necessary to protect one's skis to as great an extent as possible.
In the past, many skiers have simply wrapped their skis in plastic or placed the skis in plastic or vinyl bags for transport. This has not proved satisfactory, especially since many transportation companies stow the skis with other luggage so that the skis get tossed and joggled around in transport, and, in fact, occasionally may have portions snapped off or the skis may be broken in two. Due to the awkward size of skis, transporting them in the storage compartment of the transport craft has been a necessary evil since they are not readily carried in the passenger compartments of the craft.
Other inventors have recognized this problem and have sought to provide a solution for it. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,767,036 to McLeod discloses two substantially identical hinged halves of a carrying case within which the skis may be placed and constrained against movement by means of large masses of sponge-like material. This case also positions the ski boots and ski poles by means of these spongy masses. It is noted, however, that the McLeod patent provides elongated slots which must conform to the ski, and the skis are slightly deformed when placed in the box by means of a clamping brace.
In Swiss Pat. No. 243,343 to Drox, a carrying case is provided wherein a set of skis and poles is entirely protected by the container. The container is a box-like structure which has a pair of grooved members which receive the edge of the skis, and a pair of bridles or blocks mounted on the lid so that when the skis are placed in the box and the lid closed, they retain the skis against the grooved crossbars.
Also, U.S. Pat. No. 3,889,861 to Fihn discloses an elongated container which receives a central portion of the skis with the running faces of the skis adjacent. Slots are provided at the ends of the container so that the skis protrude outwardly therefrom and ski poles may be placed within longitudinal grooves at the exterior edge of the container.